Gluten Free Diet

Article by Jason Russell

The Celiac Test measures IgA-tTG, Serum IgA, and IgA-AGA. When IgA-tTG and IgA-AGA are positive, there is a high degree of certainty the patient has Celiac Disease. When IgA-tTG is positive with normal IgA-AGA, the patient may have Celiac Disease, but may have been following a gluten-free diet, reducing their IgA-AGA. Individuals with moderate to strong positives should therefore follow up with a biopsy. But to be accurate you must have had gluten in your diet. If you go gluten free and then get a Celiac test, its inaccurate and pointless. So many that have discovered gluten does not agree with them have to purposely eat gluten for a few weeks, then take the test. If gluten gives a person stomach pain (not bloating, but PAIN), they most likely have Celiac Disease.

Home testing for Celiac Disease

The Biocard Celiac Test Kit allows for at home testing for Celiac Disease with results in as quick at 10 minutes. No more waiting for lab appointments and results. This revolutionary test is as accurate as all laboratory tests for Celiac Disease in hospitals and private labs with a 92% sensitivity rate, 95% specificity rate and 93.5% accuracy. This test has been approved in Europe since 2005 and the US since 2009. This Self Test Kit is fast, acurate and easy to use and can be completed in the privacy of your own home. This test is as accurate as the best pathology tests. This test detects Celiac Disease through IgA auto antibodies. Results are evident in about 10 min. Everything you need to complete the test is in this box. This test is perfect for screening Celiac Disease, as well as monitoring diet compliance of Celiac Disease sufferers.

In independent trials the Biocard Celiac Test was shown to be highly accurate (96%) when compared with intestinal biopsy and equally reliable to hospital laboratory blood tests. In rare circumstances, some people (2% of the population and 5% of coeliacs) may give a false negative result in laboratory tests as well as the Biocard test due to an IgA antibody deficiency. The test has been proven to be easy to use by lay persons and meets all necessary regulatory requirements including the IVD directive 98/79EC for home use. If you do test positve for Celiac Disease with this home test, please see a doctor. He will advise you to continue on your usual diet until his diagnosis has been confirmed. One problem is that some physicians aren’t well informed about the disease making a diagnosis that much harder. Celiac disease diagnosis is often one of exclusion of other diseases with similar symptoms – such as diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain which it shares with IBS.

What if I come back negative for Celiac Disease?

Celiac’s Disease is relatively rare, so if the patient tests negative for the clinical test an allergen test is then done. Just because you test negative for Celiac disease does not mean with certainty that you still do not have some form of gluten intolerance. It also does not preclude the possibility for a wheat allergy. Conclusive results for gluten intolerance are usually found by putting a patient on an elimination diet to see if eliminating gluten relieves their issues. However, this is not the first step. Blood testing and allergen testing is done first, as elimination diets can be risky if other issues are present. A blood test to determine if the patient has Celiac’s Disease, a severe gluten intolerance, is first done. In some situations a doctor may also suggest an intestinal biopsy. The following tests are often conducted by thorough doctors when evaluating patients for gluten intolerance or Celiac disease: Stool Fat test, to determine malabsorption level Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) to search for inflammation. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) to further look for inflammation. Complete Blood count (CBC) to ascertain anemia. Vitamin B12, D, and E to check for vitamin deficiency. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) to analyze protein, calcium and electrolyte levels as well as to check liver and kidney functions.